Dental floss holder



June 24, 1924. 1,498,853 W. J. OLIVER DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER Filed Nov. 10 1921 mum.

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WEbfaTER J. Ouvan Patented June 24, 1924.

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WEBSTER J. OLIVER, OF BEGOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'IO LOUISE C. BALL, OF

NEW YORK, n. Y.

. DENTAL FLQSS HOLDER.

Application filed November 10, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WEBSTER J. OLIVER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dental Floss Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to dental accessories and more particularly it relates to dental floss holders.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved floss holder which may be easily operated within a persons mouth with minimum discomfort and without danger of injury.

Another object is to so construct a dental floss holder that the floss may be simply and readily aflixed in normal. position, and may be positively maintained in this position against slipping.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dental floss holder which is sanitary in every respectand which protects the supply of floss from foreign materials and from the liquids of the mouth.

A still further object is to provide a hold er which admits of the supply of floss being held in medicated bodies of powder, paste or other preparations.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from a reading of the detailed description.

[The dental floss holders as heretofore manufactured are found to have certain disadvantages in respect to their construction and operation. For instance there has been no protection of the floss supply against contamination by the liquids of the mouth. Another and very serious disadvantage is that the floss must be wound in a particular and complicated manner onto the supporting prongs to prevent it from slipping. When the floss slips and its taut condition between the prongs has been destroyed, the holder becomes unusable and must be rethreaded. Some of the other floss holders are so constructed that extending parts such as bent over ends contact directly with the cheeks and tongue and injure them by cutting and scratching.

My invention contemplates the construction of an improved floss holder which over comes these objections as well as other dis- Serial No. 514,186.

advantages, and provides certain advantageous features which have not heretofore been introduced in holders of this type.

A selected embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings wherein 1 i Fig. l is a side elevational view of my improved floss holder partially broken away to show the floss supply.

2 is a view in elevation of the parts of the holder.

3 is a perspective view of the head portion of the holder showing in particular a floss cutter formed therein.

Fig. 4- is a side elevational view of the end of prone; showing one type of construction thereof.

Fig. 5 is also'a side elevational view of an end of a prong showing another type of ronstruction, and i i Fig. 6 is a view of part of the holder showing a protecting member on a skein of floss and showing; the manner of conducting the floss to the exterior of the holder.

Referring now to the drawings, the selected embodiment is illustrated as a holder comprising a supporting head 1, prongs 2 and 3 for holding. the floss in its normal operating position, and a handle 4, which in this instance, is'coinposed of a body 5 and a cap 6. The body 5 is adapted to carry a supply of floss and a suitable means for treating the floss. I

The detailed construction of the holder will now-be considered in order to present in detail the improved features thereof.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the head 1 is preferably cup shaped and is provided with suitable means for holding the body 5. I have found that by forming screw threads on the inner surface of the head the body may be firmly held in normal position, and that. when desired. the floss may be locked between the head and the holder as will hereinafter be described. The head is also provided at its lower edge with a cutter 7. The external edges of the cutter are preferably rounded to eliminate the danger of injury by cutting. The material employed in making the head, which may be of any desired metal, composition thereof, or of other material which will readily support the prongs and the body. Some of these metals or materials may be alloys, rubber, fibres,

bone, or chemical compositions. These materials may be coated with an enamel if desired.

The prongs or supports, between which the floss is stretched and maintained in operating position, may be integral with the head or may be attached thereto by welding or otherwise. I have found that the desired shapes and lengths of the. prongs are substantially the same asillustrated. These prongs hold the floss at an angle to the hen dle thereby allowing the holder to be easily inserted and operated within the mouth. A shoulder 8. on prong 3 acts as a seat for the upper teeth to force the floss between the lower teeth when the lower teeth are being cleaned.

The formation of the end portions of the prongs is particularly important. as of the main improvements of my invention resides in so forming these ends that the floss may be affixed in a very simple man ner and still in a manner that prevents relative movement between the floss and the prongs. Two forms of construction of the ends are illustrated in Figs. 4; and 5. one being obtained by cutting away part of the prong material while the other is formed by bending back the extreme ends of the prongs onto themselves. Both forms have proven satisfactory. Each construction provides for the formation of notches 9 in the extreme end and for openings 10 beneath the notches and usually in vertical line there with. Such a construction admits of the floss being wound in a single plane. It is to be understood that in the formation of these notches and openings that it is not essential that they be in vertical alignment. but may be arranged in suitable positions so that the floss may be easily wound in the simplest manner into non-slipping engagement with the prongs.

ll hile I have shown the formation of notches 9 in the ends of the prongs to hold the floss from slipping off the ends thereof any desired construction of the ends may be employed for this purpose. I have found that by increasing the depth of the notches over the usual depth that the floss is readily maintained in normal position under all conditions of operation, even when the holder is held at a small angle to the hori zontal or when operated at substantially right angles to the horizontal. This type of notch will readily accommodate and successfully operate with either the round or the ribbon type of floss.

In forming prong ends byturning back tips 11 on to the prong shafts, I arrange to have the tips bent in planes at right angles or substantially so. to a plane passing through the length of the floss. Such construction prevents the ends of the prongs from directly engaging and cutting the cheeks and tongue. The hooks 12 in the construction illustrated in Fig. t are also formed so that they do not directly engage the persons cheeks or tongue. 1 "further eliminate all danger of cutting by rounding off the tips ll and hooks 12 as shown. These constructions permit the floss holder to be inserted and operated in the mouth at angle most convenient to the operator 1 without danger of injury.

The prongs may be made of any desirable material, such for instance as that employed in the manufacture of the head. It is however. desirable that the prongs be constructed of a non-corrosive material which is somewhat flexible. The latter feature is desirable to obtain the best operation of the holder and to prevent breakage when the holder is carried in the clothes pockets. or convenience of maiuifacture the prongs may be made of flat wire instead of the round wire.

The handle of the floss holder may be constructed of any desired material and may be of suitable shape or contour to carry supply of floss and a medicant when desired. it is however, a feature of my invention that the handle shall be of sufficient size to permiit the holder to be operated in the mouth with minimum discomfort and without requiring the insertion of the lingers. The handle is preferably constructed of two metal parts the body and cap 6, which are readily susceptible of being cleaned and properly disinfected, or sterilized. This handle may be glass bottle if desired.

In constructing the body 5 there are pro vided screw threaded portions, 13 and adapted to engage the head and the cap respectively. and the diameter of the body is such tnat it will accommodate the floss and a dentifrice or other medicament in any particular form. It is preferred that the den ti vdicant be a powder or paste.

to 1, a shein 15 of the floss is shown in normal position within the holdor and is protected by a wrapper 16. which preferably surrounds the skein and main tains the medicant in contact therewith. This covering 16 may be waxed paper, lead foil, or other materialwhich will readily support the medica'nt. hen it is desired to eliminate the use of a dentifrice or medicant I find it to be of advantage to employ a cap ll)?" (Fig. 8) placed over the top of the slrein 15, thus protecting it against contamination.

The floss may 39, withdrawn from its sup ply ii" any desired manner such for instance as having it pass through the top of the wrapper 16 or cap 17, and through a slit 18 in the body to the exterior of the holder. The length of the slit is such that when the cap is screwed into position it will cover and protect the lowermost point of the slit 18 so ,of the cap and in some instances have the bottom of the cap flared outwardly, as shown in Fig. 1. l' have found it advisable to vary the angle. of the taper and the amount of flare in the head to bring the head into proper engagement with the floss that it may be slightly pinched or locked between the head and the body. By thus pinching or looking the floss, it is readily appreciated that the floss may be easily guided into notch 9 of prong 2 by the use of only one hand.

The formation of the screw threads in the head and on the top of body 5 are so arranged that when the body is screwed into the head the slit 18 will be substantially beneath or near prong 2, thereby preventing the floss from being withdrawn at a point near the cutter 7. This has the added advantage of reducing the amount of the exposed floss.

In preparing the holder for operation, the head may be loosened, if the floss has been locked between it and the body, and the desired. amount of floss withdrawn, then the head is screwed tight in a position somewhat pinching the floss in order that it may be easily and quickly guided on to pron 2.

lit is desirable to have the floss first pass through notch 9 and then into opening 10, where it is pinched in operating position. The floss is then again passed through notch 9 and carried to prong 3 where it is found desirable to pass it first through opening 10 and then through notch 9. This allows the looking or pinching of the free end of the floss at its last point of engagement with the prong. In most instances a single turn of the floss is suflicient to fix it in nonslipping relation with the prongs, but since the floss is only wound in one plane, two or more turns may be readily made when found desirable.

The holder is now threaded with floss for normal operation and may be inserted in the mouth at substantially any angle and operated without causing the person discomfort and without danger of the floss being removed from the ends of the prongs. My particular construction of the holder protects the supply of floss against contamination first by having the opening through which it passes to the exterior of the holder covered and substantially closed and second by having a wrapper enclosing the body of floss. Such a construction of floss holder admits of the introduction of vmedicaments for the treatment of pyorrhea or teeth or gum infections.

It will be appreciated that certain-modifications of this invention may be conceived by others skilled in the art but such mod-i- Ti flcatious are considered as being within the scope of this invention as outlined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A dental floss holder comprising a head having flexible prongs for holding dental floss in operating position, a body for carrying a supply of said floss, said body adapted to be aflixed to said head in a manner that permits said floss to pass between portions of said head and said body, and to be under tension by reason of the contact with the head and body and a cap for enclosing the base of said body.

2. In a dental floss holder the combination of a head having thereon prongs between which the floss is supported in taut condition, a body adapted to be aflixed to said head and to carry a supply of said floss, said body having a slit therein at its upper end through which said floss is withdrawn, the lower end of said slit adapted to be substantially covered by the lower end of said head, and a removable cap affixed to the lower end of said body.

3. In a dental floss holder a head having prongs of different lengths for supporting floss in taut condition, the top portions of said prongs provided with slots for maintaining said floss in position during operation, said prongs also provided with openings below said slots for pinching said floss to prevent relative movement thereof with said prongs.

4. In a dental floss holder the combination of a receptacle for holding a supply of floss and being provided with an exit for said floss, and a head arranged to be affixed to said receptacle and being provided with floss holding prongs, said head being so constructed that it will substantially close said floss exit when in one position and upon being moved further will pinch the floss at its exit thereby completely closing the exit to entrance of any foreign material I and preventing further movement of the floss until said head is released.

5; In a dental floss holder, a receptacle and handle adapted to contain a bobbin of floss, and having a long axis, a cap screw threaded thereon, prongs integral with said cap and shaped to hold said floss at an angle to said axis and having a floss cutter integral with said cap on its outer surface.

6. In a dental floss holder, the combination of a metal cup shaped head having its inner surface screw threaded and having a bevel portion at its lower interior edge, a floss cutter formed in said head, flexible prongs associated with said head for supporting floss in taut condition seid prongs through which said floss is Withdrawn said being of flexible. material and arrenged to slit being protected by said head, and a cap bold said floss in non-slipping relation for enclosing the lower end of said body, 10 thereto, a body adapted to be screwed into Signed at New York in the county of said head and adapted to support a supply New York and State of New York this of said floss in e medicant surrounded by a 7th day of November A. D. 1921.

Wrapper, said body provided With a slit WEBSTER J. OLIVER, 

